In 1969, an independent agent in Indianapolis had a better idea for selling commercial insurance. He envisioned the localization of mass marketing efforts by a group of independent insurance agencies, a group devoted to working together to better serve the consumer and each other.

By 1970, Wayne W. Hoffman had assembled a select group of independent agencies to develop and market insurance programs in Indiana. That was the genesis of Associated Risk Managers.

Over the next 30 years, ARM grew by adding new chapters and hand-selected member agencies. New State Member Groups formed, and before long other benefits grew from those state and regional groups. ARM members were able to consolidate business with insurance carriers in their state or region. Agencies were given access to new markets and programs. Members began sharing and putting into practice ideas and innovations that gave them the competitive advantage they were seeking.

A national organization with operations in 21 states, ARM is a network of around 200 professional agencies generating over $4.5 billion in property and casualty premiums with some of the country's top insurance carriers. Considered one of the most dynamic sales organizations in the market today ARM revolutionized the industry by setting precedents for group agency associations, agency clusters and marketing alliances. For more than 40 years, ARM has been the leading member agency organization born out of and serving the independent insurance agency community. While today there are numerous agency associations offering their own brand of affiliation, only ARM delivers a wealth of resources, programs and products to a truly independent network of agencies.

ARM will continue to bring innovation and growth to its members, allowing even the smallest agency to have national impact on a local level. ARM is proud to be an association of independent insurance agencies and brokers who know by working together they can accomplish more collectively than they could individually.